


Who's Karen?

by BattlingBard



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Red Kryptonite, ladies, post red k, slightly ooc Kara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 21:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15980402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BattlingBard/pseuds/BattlingBard
Summary: Lena sees her crush with another woman and accepts that she has a girlfriend. Then she sees her with another woman.





	Who's Karen?

“Lena!”

Spinning around, Lena sees Kara walking toward her with a genuine smile. “Kara, hello.”

Kara pulls Lena into a brief hug, taking Lena by surprise. “It’s so different seeing you outside of L-Corp!”

“Sometimes I feel like I live there.” Lena smirks. “I had a meeting with the board and was in need of some air. Taking a walk seemed like a great idea, and I remembered you recommending the coffee from here.” Her eyebrow quirks at Kara’s slight flush.

“Oh! I’m sure you’re going to love it. Even after working here for three years, I never get tired of it.”

“Then I should ask you what you recommend.” Lena’s voice is bordering on sultry.

“Okay!” Kara bounces on the balls of her feet. She steps around Lena as the barista finishes taking the order of the person in front of the CEO.

The barista smiles at Kara. “Hey, Kara.” She leans against the counter as she picks up a coffee cup to write Kara’s order. “Just a coffee?” Stopping her writing, she meets Kara’s eyes with a sly grin. “Or will there be anything else today?”

Lena watches the interaction with a raised eyebrow. Kara looks briefly at Lena with a small smile before turning back to the barista. “Can you make it two?” Glancing at Lena, the barista’s smile falls slightly. “I’ll be back for lunch.”

Her smile returning, the barista writes a second order on another cup. “We’ll have these right out.” Kara hands over her debit card.

“Kara, no-” Lena begins to pull out her own wallet.

“My treat.” Kara winks at Lena, shocking the CEO.

“I’ll see you later, Kara.” The barista gives Kara her card and receipt.

“Thanks!” Kara smiles before turning to Lena. She waves her over to stand off to the side. Lena’s eyes slide to the barista, watching the woman sneak glances at her and Kara. “They have amazing milkshakes, too!

Lena turns to face Kara. “So you’re friends with everyone that works here still?”

“What? Uh, there really aren’t any people left from when I worked here.” Kara fidgets with her glasses. “I just…”

“Come here that often?” Lena quirks an eyebrow at Kara.

“Yup! Pretty much.” Kara nods before smiling a little too wide at Lena.

Lena tilts her head, but doesn’t question Kara further. “Maybe I’ll try a milkshake next time.”

Kara smile turn hopeful. “Kara!” Her name is called from the counter. With a bounce in her step, Kara walks up to the counter to retrieve their coffees. “Thanks!” She walks back to Lena and hands over the coffee with a smile. “Here you go!”

Watching Kara take a sip of the hot coffee, Lena raises her eyebrows with an impressed expression. “So Kara, do you have to be at CatCo right away, or would you like to join me on a little walk?”

“Absolutely!” Kara’s smile crinkles the corners of her eyes.

Their conversation is light as they walk. While waiting to cross a street, Lena notices a woman watching them. Assuming she has been recognized, she turns to suggest another route to Kara, but the woman speaks before her. “Karen?”

Kara’s back straightens, and she jerks her head toward the source of the voice. “Oh.” She shoves her hands into her pockets.

The woman walks over to them, ignoring Lena’s presence. “Hey.” She grins at Kara. “I thought that was you. How have you been?”

Lena watches Kara’s demeanor change. “I’m great. It’s good to see you.” The signal to cross begins beeping. “Take care!” She smiles at the woman before turning to Lena, who notices the smile is different than any of the ones Kara has directed at her before. It changes within seconds. “Come on.” They begin walking across the street. When they are out of earshot of the other woman, Kara begins talking again. “Sorry about not introducing you. I’m usually really all about manners and such, but I don’t even remember her name. I didn’t want to make the situation awkward for anyone.”

Nodding thoughtfully with pursed lips, Lena watches Kara out of the corner of her eye. “Karen?”

“Ha. Yeah.” Kara adjusts her glasses. “I guess she didn’t remember my name either.”

Lena narrows her eyes in suspicion, but doesn’t press Kara.

* * *

After everything she went through with being kidnapped by her own mother, Lena completely forgets about the strange encounters a few months ago, when she got coffee with Kara. When she meets Kara for brunch, she’s suddenly reminded of that day.

“So are you going to tell me why you were so adamantly against going to the cafe I suggested?” Lena asks Kara with a teasing smile as she leans forward with her forearms on the table.

Kara adjusts her glasses. “I, uh.” She clears her throat. “I just really didn’t want kale. That place is like all healthy food. I-I thought this place would be a better mix, you know? You get your healthy food, and I get… not healthy food.” Kara looks down at the table with a crinkle on her forehead. “Yeah. This place also is less crowded on Sunday mornings.”

Lena raises an eyebrow in suspicion. “Have you been there on enough Sunday mornings to know that?”

“Uh, sorta. I guess.”

“After a long night of partying?” Lena’s voice turns teasing.

“What?” Kara’s eyes go wide.

“Aren’t there a few clubs near there? It would make sense to believe Saturday night clubbers might venture there for a Sunday hangover cure.”

Kara nods slowly. “Yeah, I guess. I’m not really one for drinking though, so I never need to cure a hangover.”

“Never?”

“Nope.” Kara shakes her head.

Lena decides to drop the topic for the time being… until the following weekend.

* * *

After a rather calm week at L-Corp, Lena ends her Friday night by going to one of the bars she had researched. She smooths her hand down her dress before walking inside of the door.

Lights of various colors shine over the dance floor. Lena sighs in relief at how the cleanliness matches the level spoken of in the reviews. She glances around in approval as she walks to the bar. There bar has a nice variety of patrons, but few enough people to have plenty of space to walk around or dance. Sliding onto a stool at the end of the bar, Lena waits for the bartender to finish mixing drinks on the other end. There are a few women sitting at the bar several stools away from her.

Once she has her drink, she crosses her legs at the knee and spins around to face the dancing crowd of bodies. She nearly spits out the sip she takes when she sees a familiar face. A double take ensures her that either Kara Danvers, wearing a slick, black dress is dancing closely with a woman, or Lena has found her doppelganger. Unable to move from shock, Lena simply watches with her drink forgetting in her hand.

About a foot of space is between Kara and the other woman. When the song changes, Lena watches Kara’s hands reach for the woman. Kara slides her hands down the woman’s arm until she’s holding her wrists. Not losing her rhythm with the music, Kara wraps the other woman’s arms around her own neck. Her hands find the woman’s waist to tug her closer.

Lena’s jaw slacks open. She licks her lips and takes a deep breath. Her balance slips from her control when Kara crashes their lips together. Lena barely catches herself from falling off of the stool. “So that answers my question as to whether or not Kara is interested in woman,” Lena says to herself. “Too bad I found out by seeing her with her girlfriend.” She sets her drink down and goes home.

* * *

She doesn’t see Kara for another week. When she does see Kara, it’s less than ideal. After a dinner meeting at a hotel, Lena finds Kara with a different woman than last week. Kara is sitting at the hotel bar, and the woman is standing between her legs and playing with Kara’s hair. Lena slips out of the building before Kara can see her.

* * *

Kara shows up at L-Corp after two weeks of not hearing from Lena. “Hey, Lena!” She walks in with a bright smile.

“Kara!” Lena smiles back as she reclines in her seat. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Taking a seat on one of the chairs across from Lena, Kara shrugs. “I missed you.” Her smile turns shy. “I haven’t heard from you in a while, so I thought I would stop by.”

“How thoughtful,” Lena says with a smirk. “What have you been up to?”

Blushing slightly, Kara adjusts her glasses. “Not much, really. My sister has been spending a lot of time with her new girlfriend, so I’ve been kind of on my own a bit.”

“On your own?” Lena tilts her head.

“Well… like we usually have sister nights a couple of times a week, but we haven’t done that in a while. I’m not really talking to a couple of my other friends, and I’m avoiding another one that may or may not have a crush on me.”

“Interesting.” Resting her forearms on her desk, Lena leans forward with a smirk. “You know… I may be able to help you… by keeping you company.”

“Oh!” Kara adjusts in her seat. “Okay! Yeah! That would be fun! We could have a best friends night!”

Lena purses her lips. “So what would we… do on this best friends night?”

Kara smiles. “Leave the planning up to me! How’s tonight?”

“Should I bring anything?”

“Just your lovely self.”

* * *

When Kara sits back down after refilling the popcorn bowl, she sits so their thighs are touching. Lena sucks in a slow, deep breath. She relaxes against Kara’s side, and Kara immediately responds by leaning into Lena’s touch. Neither move until the bowl is empty again.

“Do you want more?” Kara asks.

“No, thanks,” Lena whispers, looking right into Kara’s eyes.

Kara places the bowl on the coffee table and relaxes back on the couch, but isn’t leaning against Lena anymore. “Do you want another glass of wine?” Kara suddenly stands up from the couch.

“Oh, no. I’m good.” Lena watches Kara go to the kitchen to refill her glass of water. Kara drinks the entire glass and refills it before rejoining Lena. She places her hand on Kara’s thigh. “Are you okay? You seem… off.”

Sucking in a breath, Kara looks down at the hand on her lap. “Yup.” She looks back at Lena. “I’m just… tired, I guess. Two movies and all the pizza.” Kara smiles sheepishly.

“We don’t have to finish this movie, Kara.” Lena turns slightly toward Kara, causing her hand to move higher up Kara’s leg.

“Can we finish it tomorrow? I do want to finish it with you.” Kara pouts a little.

“Sure, we can do that.” Lena pats Kara’s thigh and smiles.

Lena begins to lean toward Kara, but the older woman reaches toward the coffee table to grab the remote and pause the movie. She stay on the edge of the couch and turns back to Lena, leaving some distance between them. “How about brunch and a movie? I can order something for delivery!” She smiles hopefully at Lena.

“How about I make crepes?”

“What?” Karas eyes go wide. “You know how to make crepes?”

With a smirk, Lena quirks a single eyebrow. “There are plenty of things you have yet to discover about me.”

Kara nods slowly and fidgets with her glasses. “I look forward to it. Um… are you okay to drive? I know you only had two glasses, but still. I’d hate to have to deal with Maggie arresting you again.”

“That makes two of us.” Lena stands, accepting nothing more will happen tonight. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes! 10?”

“I’ll be here.”

* * *

Lena steps off the elevator onto Kara’s floor. She blinks in surprise when two women nearly walk into her when the doors slide open. Both women are carrying heels in their hands and have a myriad of bruises along the exposed skin around their neck and collarbones. “Oh. Excuse me.” She steps around the two women that barely notice her through their obvious exhaustion.

A slightly flustered Kara opens the door seconds after Lena knocks. “Hey!” Kara’s eyes are a little wide. “Come in. Sorry. I, uh, just woke up. I accidently slept through my alarm.”

“It’s fine. I am a little early.” She smiles at Kara as she sets down her bag of groceries on the kitchen island.

Kara smiles with a sigh of relief. “So I thought I’d make some ice cream for dessert. That way we can both cook together and then watch the movie.”

“Works for me.”

“Great!” Kara bounces a little on her toes before going to the fridge to get ingredients. “I borrowed my sister’s girlfriend’s ice cream maker.” She leaves out the reason being that she doesn’t have one because her freeze breath works much faster. Lena looks up at Kara with a smile, but it slips away quickly. With Kara’s back to her, she can see several smudges of lipstick on Kara’s neck.

If Kara notices a change in Lena’s demeanor, she doesn’t show any sign. When they settle on the couch with their bowls of ice cream, their sides press closely against each other. Kara sets both bowls on the coffee table when they finish. Lena’s eyes slide to the lipstick marks again. Unconsciously, her leg begins bouncing.

“Are you alright?” Kara looks at her with concern.

Lena stares right into Kara’s eyes for a moment. When Kara opens her mouth to speak again, Lena surges forward, bringing their lips together. Kara freezes, and Lena immediately pulls back with a horrified expression.

“Lena… what-”

“I have to go.” Lena stands from the couch, hardening her expression.

“Wait, Lena.”

“Why should I?” Lena narrows her eyes at Kara over her shoulder as she stands several feet away from the couch.

Kara seems to bring herself out of her shock and stands up from the couch. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize for being attracted to every women in National City and not me.”

Eyes growing wide, Kara stumbles back a step. “What?”

“I’ve seen you, Kara.”

“Wh-what-”

Lena gestures vaguely toward the windows and the city outside of the apartment. “I’ve seen you with with at least half a dozen women in rather telling situations, and I don’t even remember how many women have either called you “Karen,” or thrown death stares at me while I was with you!”

“Oh.” Kara’s eyebrows scrunch together. “It’s not what you think.”

“Really?” Lena looks completely skeptical.

“Okay…  **That** part is probably what you think, but the part about you isn’t what you think.” Kara grimaces when Lena merely crosses her arms over her chest, still glaring at Kara. “Right… You probably want me to explain.”

“You think?”

“Right… Okay… So…” Kara begins to shuffle around on her feet and use her hands to speak. “Before I tell you that, there’s something else I’ve been wanting to tell you, but I’ve been too scared for so many reasons that I don’t even care about right now, because you’re looking at me like you never want to see me again, and I just can’t imagine my life without you, so if you decide to hate me after this, just please believe me when I say I care about you so much.” She takes a breath before reaching up to pull her glasses off and toss them on the coffee table behind her. “I’m Supergirl.”

“You’re Su -”

“And before you yell at me about that, please let me get the rest of this out.” She lets out a frustrated breath. “This is… Nobody, not even my sister, knows this about me. I don’t know if you know much about what went on in the news around National City before you came here, but I was inflicted with a synthetic kryptonite that made me act on my darkest thoughts and emotions. I… Before it got to the worse of the, um, moments… I really try not to think about that time. If you look up videos, I’m sure you’ll understand, but that’s not the important part here.” She pauses to judge Lena’s reaction so far. Lena hasn’t moved since she started talking again. “Okay. Right. So the short version is that I went to a club and tried to, um, get the attention of someone I liked at the time. When I got turned down and lost more control over myself, I… There was this woman that came up and started dancing with me. I liked it.” Kara shrugs. “I left her apartment when she fell asleep. A couple of months after getting cured, I thought about that night again. Even without the infection of that kryptonite… it sounded like something I would enjoy… so I went out on my own. It took me a while to get comfortable enough to even talk to someone, but I eventually did. When this woman asked me name, I panicked and said “Karen.” The name stuck… so did my, uh, interest.” She sighs with her cheeks puffing out. “Being an alien and trying to be in a relationship is just so hard. I just completely failed at it for years. Then suddenly… I discovered this way to not even be myself to be with people. I meet a woman, give her a fake name, and we are just two consenting adults. There’s no fear of them being in danger because I’m Supergirl, stressing about how or when to tell them I’m an alien, or worrying about scaring them off.”

Lena quirks an eyebrow at Kara. They stand in silence for a few moments before she speaks. “So what does this have to do with me?”

Kara lets out a heavy breath and looks down at her feet. “I care about you,” she whispers.

“I can’t hear you, Kara.”

Looking up, blue eyes find green. “I have feelings for you. I have for a while.”

“You… what….”

“That’s why I said I was tired last night. You… It was so hard to be close to you and hide my feelings.”

“Did you not notice I was flirting with you?” Lena uncrosses her arms.

“Rao, yes!” Kara throws up her arms, turning away from Lena for a moment before looking back at her. “You have no idea how difficult it has been to not just… go for it.” She plops back onto the couch.

Lena watches her for a moment before walking closer to rest her hip against the arm of the couch. “Why haven’t you?” Her voice is barely above a whisper.

Kara shrugs. “I didn’t really see any of the possible outcomes going very well for me. If it was just about sex for you, then I would be left heartbroken. If you wanted a relationship, then I’d be back where I started with dating as an alien… except worse because I’m Supergirl, and I wouldn’t want you thinking this was a Super and Luthor related secret. It’s just… I didn’t want to lose you completely, so I just thought having you as a friend was the best I would ever get.” She shrinks back into the couch.

They sit in silence for long moments. “You’ve saved my life several times, and you think I would hate you?” Lena looks straight ahead, avoiding meeting Kara’s eyes to her right.

“I’ve been lying to you about being part of the family your family is feuding with, and I thought you would see this as a lack of trust on my part.”

Lena slides down the couch arm to land on the couch cushion. “So… to recap… you have feelings for me, you’re an alien superhero, and you have been sleeping with other women while holding on to the fear of losing me from your life.” She’s still not looking at Kara.

Kara nods slowly, her eyes on her fidgeting hands in her lap. “That about summarizes it.”

“Okay.” Lena says suddenly.

Jerking her head up to look at Lena, Kara squeaks, “What?”

Lena meets her eyes finally. They look at each other before Lena grabs for Kara’s neck to pull her into a kiss. Kara gasps into her mouth before responding to the kiss by pulling Lena to straddle her lap. Lena smirks against Kara’s lips before deepening the kiss.


End file.
